by Andrew Novak
This sounded so insecure that Jack realized: Sartorius was a weak man. He had already made up his mind, but he was still sitting and cadging, trying to persuade himself. Jack really wanted to sleep, to finish things quickly, and this mage was about to start some soul-searching.
"Because I have a quest that can give you some interesting information," he explained patiently. "You want to learn my secrets? Candor for candor. So that I can trust you, you'll have to trust me. If you want to know, I dream of going on a long journey, on a large ship, to have the wind in my face, gulls over the waves, and a faraway, mysterious objective ahead of me. To do this, I need to register a guild, buy a ship, and assemble a team. It's rather expensive. So, I'm collecting gold for these expenses. And you? What is it?"
He realized that Sartorius was somehow watching him with a new enthusiasm.
"Jack the Tramp, you'll get your journey," the alpha announced solemnly. "It's fate that we met."
Actually, fate was called Egghead, and it flew in a golden coach, harnessed to a pair of white pegasi. Fate knew what it was doing, and could be as useful as it was dangerous. By the way, Egghead had asked him to get in touch. He needed to write, although Jack didn't like the greasy, saccharine-sweet man. However, Egghead was a useful acquaintance. When matters cleared up a little, he would have to write to him. Right now, though, Jack diligently painted a happy smile on his face and nodded at Sartorius – please, come on, continue.
"Jack will get his journey. I wonder if I'll get my two thousand," Eloise grumbled, forgotten by the men.
But the alpha did not look in her direction. He was preparing to tell his long and, to him, very important speech. His preparations lasted a minute, then Sartorius spoke:
"To you, probably, all alphas are the same? Do you think that over there, behind the Barrier, we're all on equal terms? It's not so. Social inequality exists everywhere. There are alphas who make the decisions, and those who simply carry them out. Do all omegas seek the right to full alpha-citizenship to enter New Atrium with a chip implanted in their hands? And then become rich and independent?"
Sartorius patted his wrist, hinting at the location of his implanted alpha chip.
"We call it 'chip entry'," Jack confirmed. "It’s all everyone dreams of.”
"Yes, for omegas, it's the holy grail, as I understand it. You get full social benefits, housing, food, clothing, and even a small amount of money each month to meet cultural needs."
"For you it's a small amount," Eloise interjected.
"It's small," Sartorius repeated confidently. "It's actually quite small in comparison with what some have. For example, your master, Ruger Eckerhart. And I want more. And the way to it lies through achievements in Alterra."
"You're not exactly high-level," Jack said carefully. There was no need to offend the mage, but it was the truth. Forty-eighth level was, for alphas, far from being a huge achievement.
"Yes, because I'm still betting on a sharp increase in the future," the alpha asserted.
Eloise went silent, her unusually black eyes switching from one interlocutor to the other. Jack marveled again at her incredible appearance. Sartorius wasn't looking at anyone. He was talking. Not even talking, as so much as solemnly explaining:
"Listen. The game was created before the Gendemic. Then civilization collapsed. The citizens of New Atrium managed to save and even increase the level of technological sophistication that had existed before the catastrophe. Among other things, we reconstructed Alterra. But before, the purpose of the game was the Great Mysteries. It's a real puzzle, training for a developed mind. They demanded erudition, the ability to think broadly and logically. Entertainment for intelligent people."
"I don't understand what you're talking about," the necromancer interjected. "Those who battle more, who finish more quests, get more XP. It’s nothing new."
"Yes, I was just coming to that," Sartorius nodded contentedly.
Jack realized that the alpha had carried these thoughts for too long and had been unable to express them. Now, he was enjoying the moment. He could finally lay out all that had long worried him. Incidentally, Egghead explained about the Great Mysteries – the disappearance of the gods – during their meeting.
"Alterra's changed in New Atrium," the mage continued. "Since most players now are omegas, the game was rebuilt for them. No complexity, no philosophical exercises for the mind.”
"Only combat quests and the yearly Battles," Jack nodded. "Simple fun for simple people."
"Exactly right!" Sartorius affirmed. Then he lowered his voice, "They say there's a collective of very influential people. They aren't part of the official board of directors for Alterra, but have absolute power over it."
"Who are they?"
"No one knows. I heard they put a task before the directors: to bring in as many players into Alterra as they could and to make it as interesting as possible, so they would play more often and hang around in the game for a longer time. Omegas have no interest in the intricately woven plot in the old version of Alterra, but the Battles – that's what they need. That's why the administration simplified everything else they could. We play in a primitive world, where all complex, intellectual puzzles have been removed. The old quests exist, there are quest lines that lead to the answer of the Great Mysteries of Alterra. It's simply that the way to them has been blocked and forgotten for decades. However, they were so woven into the fabric of the world, that they couldn't delete them from the new version of the game. No one can start this chain. I've been trying for so long to find one of these quest line tasks, even if it wasn't the very first step. Maybe there is a way to join the quest from some intermediary step? I'm collecting information crumb by crumb, searching for demon relics. History of the war with the demons is connected to the Great Mysteries. Demon books in particular interest me, as they were written before the conquest of Stoglav, at the time before the Dragon God and Azeroth disappeared, and the continent Gaerthon was intact. Formally, no one eliminated the Great Mysteries, they are still listed as part of the game. And the one who discovers even just one of them... oh, that person will receive a huge prize!"
"And you've decided to be that person," Jack understood. "Well, the way is difficult, but there are no competitors. Makes sense."
"If I manage to find the answer to the Great Mysteries of Alterra, my position in society in society will change," the alpha concluded his long speech. "In the game, first of all. I'd be a champion and, most likely, get a place on the Skyfort! And, well, it would also play a part in reality. I would get into higher society, become an important person!"
That's where Sartorius, a light mage with just forty-eight points of experience, was aiming. The Skyfort, the flying fortress, the most mysterious object in Alterra.
"I think the solution to the Great Mysteries is on Gaerthon, the lost continent," the alpha continued. "More precisely, on what's left of it. I'm sure of it! Join me, Jack, and you'll get your journey. Just think about it, a campaign to Gaerthon! It will be something incredible. No one has ever been to the forgotten continent, no one even knows how to get there."
Jack suppressed a yawn and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Well, yes, in fact, it did sound tempting. Ugh, it was so hard to think with a sleepy brain.
"As soon as I gather all the necessary information, I'll get the ship," Sartorius promised with a dreamy smile.
"You'll need a guild with a Master, who has at least fifty expertise points," Jack said.
His hands stretched to rub his heavy eyes, but under his gloved fingers he found the smooth surface of the virt-headset.
"I have just a little left to go! Just, there hasn't been enough time," said Sartorius.
"Yeah, ok, and why are you in Alterra only in the evenings?"
The mage stopped smiling.
"I'm on duty during the day," he explained. "I'm a busy man."
"On duty? What are you, a Barrier defender?"
"Of course not," the mage said, surprised. He looked more closel
y at Jack, and there was the impression that he decided not to reveal everything about himself after all. "My work deals with city communications."
"And you, of course, are paid well enough to find two thousand for me," the necromancer piped in again.
Jack yawned. Perhaps he'd overestimated his strength. Still, he needed to get some sleep and read the book with all his attention. This was an important matter. He would pass a stage of his quest at the end of it.
"I'm sorry, but I'm no longer able to do anything useful. Second day on my feet."
"Did you go into the Wasteland?" Eloise asked, with a start.
"I had to run around a bit," Jack said evasively. Why did the girl need to know where he'd been yesterday? The ability to visit Alterra far from New Atrium was best kept a secret. "Let's do this: Sartorius will register a guild, I'll pledge to it, and tomorrow we'll finally read the Corrupted Book. I can't wait myself, but today I'm just not able to understand the higher mysteries of Alterra. And after we read it, a new phase of my quest will open, and we'll do it together from there."
"A guild?" Sartorius stared thoughtfully at Jack. "Well, yes, a guild. Perhaps we could."
"I should think so! If you're going become a high-ranking lord, you'll need practice administrating. And what better way to do that, than with your own guild? We'll take a basic contract that I saw as the foundation. There are a few samples floating around in the Shell, jst make corrections in accordance with our terms. I have to inform the Master about Service to the Dark quests, the Master provides me with support in fulfilling the tasks. The financial side of things will also be taken care of by the Master. Artifacts obtained by me will remain at my disposal, but I'll be required to provide them for shared tasks."
"If there are shared tasks, then the artifacts should be placed into the guild vault," Sartorius objected.
"Uh... no. What's mine is mine," Jack gave a sly smile. "But I'll hand them over for quests. The same goes for the player Sartorius, our esteemed Master. The Master and Deputy may expel people from the guild, no one else will have the right to kick others out. They leave the guild only by their own wishes. Well, and other stuff as needed."
"Makes sense."
"It does. Like the book and the Tear of Azeroth. One artifact belongs to you, the other to me. The book can only be read with the Tear and, as a result, I'll open a new stage in my quest. It's possible that you'll be given a mission after we read the Corrupted Book. Maybe not. Either way, our guild will work through combined efforts, so that everyone will receive XP. You'll also need to raise your experience. A sea vessel, which we're both equally interested in, will only open up for us after you reach fifty points. And so on. I have no doubt that you'll write all the details of the guild Charter better than I could. Eloise, you with us?"
"Actually, I have other plans. But I don't want to lose track of you, Jack."
"Yeah, yeah, I remember. You've got important business, and you're going to hire a Walker. Do you want to do these quests with us? If so, it would make sense to join a guild. Sartorius, will you accept El? After all, she's rich. Two thousand gold is no joke!"
Jack found the strength to smile, but smile shifted into a yawn.
Sartorius rubbed his hands together in a business-like manner:
"Excellent, I'll prepare a contract for tomorrow evening. What will we call this guild?"
"You're our Master. You decide," Jack stood up. "But right now, I'm going to join the guild of sleep. Oh, and buy the book from Eloise, already. It'll be safer with you."
How he got to bed, Jack couldn't remember. He was too tired. He'd taken his gloves and virt-helm off yesterday because when he woke up, they were lying on the floor next to his cot. He got up, rinsed his face with cold water from a bucket standing next to the door. Yes, he'd had quite the day yesterday, worked hard. But now things were going all right. Sartorius already had forty-eight experience points. He only needed two more until fifty. Now there was no need for Jack to agonize over his own level. Let the experience points come gradually. And he wouldn't have to bother with purchasing the ship. That also was the alpha's job now.
Before yesterday, Jack hadn't been planning to join a guild, it was true, but now this was a special case. What they had with Sartorius, in fact, wouldn't be a typical gaming guild, but a business agreement. The alpha would provide gold, Jack – his unique quest, which was even more important than coins. They were on equal footing. And there was Eloise... But that was just happenchance. Now all that was left was to wait for the evening... What could he do to keep busy?
Jack settled down on his cot and switched on the console. He didn't enter Alterra but did check the Shell. Yep, there were messages. One, of course, was from Sartorius.
Jack, I called the guild "Stargazer". I hope you don't mind? I'll be waiting for you this evening.
Why would Jack mind? So it was Stargazer. Who cared? There was another letter from Egghead.
Hey, where do you always disappear to? I'm gradually discovering the story of the fallen ship, piece by piece. Where did you see it, in what exact place? Was it far from the ghetto?
Jack decided it was wasn't worth it to tell him everything. Ought to keep a bit of intrigue, like in some kind of quest. If he told Egghead everything at once, then he might lose interest in Jack. At this point, it was disadvantageous and he needed to maintain a contact with the cunning information merchant.
No, that information has a price. When you learn more about the ship, we'll exchange information. Oh, I completely forgot: you were right. The Gravediggers were tracking me through the drop. I'll tell you about it later somehow.
Oh, yeah, the Gravediggers! He hadn't heard anything about them in a while. Jack stopped by their guild forum. At the top were topics related to Dargoth. The Gravediggers had passed two levels, and everyone was worried about one question: how much more was there? No one knew how deep the Dargoth dungeons went. Well, let them try, thought Jack. But they wouldn't be underfoot. If Jack got the new quest from reading the Corrupted Book, then he'd be required to leave Maxitown. Outside the city walls was a PvP area. Out there, the Gravediggers could cause trouble, and Jack had no idea how good Sartorius would be in a battle. Forty-eight experience points, four unlocked skills – that wasn't bad. But the mage's actual experience was clearly not much. So, let the Gravediggers toil away in the dungeon and not interfere in his business.
What else could he do until evening? Ah, yes. He needed to visit Peter. He said that he would give the promised cartridges for the revolver. Jack got dressed, threw on his favorite cloak and went to the Middle Village.
There was no one at the school ruins. Consignments had been handed out and Peter was probably going over the loot from the Wasteland with his nephew. Or maybe they were stuck in Alterra. Jack walked into the building and looked around. One of Peter's guys got up and met Jack.
"Hey, Jack!"
"Hi, Neil."
"Peter said you'd come. Here, this is for you."
Jack took the box, shook it over his ear, and listened to the cartridges clatter inside.
"Done deal. And Shifty no longer wants to see me?" he winked.
It was, of course, a joke, but Peter's man took it in earnest and began to assure Jack that his boss was very busy, that in general, Jack the Tramp was always welcome and all that stuff.
Jack himself had no idea how to get rid of this chatterbox, but just then the building was blanketed in a low, heavy hum. Jack and Neil exchanged looks. That sound was produced by defender airships coming in for a landing.
"You expecting a shipment? Or something else?" Jack asked quickly.
Neil shook his head. He was himself surprised and alarmed. Peter ran out from the interior of the building, looked quickly at Jack, and rushed to a window.
"They're landing in my clearing! Jack, did you get your box? Well, get out of here. You want them to see you with ammo?"
Jack nodded and hastily left the building. The appearance of the defenders was a cause for conce
rn, and Jack decided to find out what they needed. He went around to a pile of trash and crouched so that he couldn't be seen from the ruins of the school. There was a lot of garbage, a whole mountain. It was here that they'd dragged everything from the landing area that could hinder the landing ships. Peter's people kept it clean and the trash heap grew constantly. Now, not only could one person hide here, but a whole dozen. Jack sought out a spot to from where he could easily watch, and froze.
The airship was already hanging at a height not more than thirty feet from the ground. In the nozzle, a blue flame glowed. Clouds of dust soared up from the underside, although where Jack was sitting, he couldn't feel the wind. What was happening that they had deigned to drop here? Usually, their ships flew over above the ghetto. They didn't come down. If this wasn't a regular humanitarian shipment, then what? Was it really because of yesterday's foray into the Wasteland?
The ship was already completely hidden by the dust cloud. Then the buzz started to quiet down. The dust, curling in yellowish-gray eddies, crawled to the sides and slowly settled. The pilot didn't bother to cut the engine. He was waiting for something.
From the gray shroud, two defenders in dully glistening black armor emerged and, crouching, ran towards Peter's lair. When they had moved about 60 feet away from the airship, the engines droned louder and the vehicle began to climb higher. The soldiers went slower. They stopped near the entrance and Peter was already running down the front steps to meet them. It rarely happened that Jack saw the defenders at this distance, so he was curious to look at their armor and equipment. Despite the fact that their armor seemed cumbersome, the defenders moved around easily. Their helmets slowly turned left and right, their right hands holding the hilt of their emitters.
Meanwhile, the airship gained height but didn't fly away, just circled the school. Jack moved, keeping under a rust-eaten steel sheet obliquely sticking out of the junk so that he couldn't be seen from above.
The defenders spoke with Peter for a few minutes, then he called to his assistant. Jack recognized the man. He'd controlled the unloading of the consignment containers. Shifty ordered him to do something and then motioned with his hand along the street, just past the pile behind which Jack was hiding. The worker nodded and walked away from the school, continually looking around. The defenders followed him.